The Gayest Halloween Costumes of 2013

As holidays go, Halloween is undoubtedly the gayest. It’s the one time of year where homos can pretend they’re hetero, straight boys step out in short skirts, and grown women turn every respectable profession they can think of into slutty versions of their former selves.

Of course you can head to your local costume shop and pick up a played-out, plastic-wrapped outfit, but we know you better than that. That’s why we’ve compiled this comprehensive list of the most topical, haute, and hilarious gay-friendly Halloween costumes of 2013. From smokin’-hot athletes fighting for equality on and off the field to a Katy Perry pop-and-locker, this year’s hottest TV shows, news stories, and pop-culture juggernauts are now the must-wear, one-night disguises of the season.

Very few of us are lucky enough to be swept off our pauperly feet by a fashion mogul, but pretending you serve up the cake in exchange for a lifetime supply of Calvins is precisely what Halloween’s all about. There are several looks from which to choose this season – inspired by everyone’s favorite dentally challenged hanger-on, Nick Gruber – including Fire Island ‘Straight’ Guy, Bloody Hamptons Brawler, Boy Who Holds Barneys Bags, and John Luciano’s Sloppy Thirds. To dress the part of an Internet porn star-turned-professional rent boy, slip into (or out of) any combination of monochromatic designer duds prepped to hit the step-and-repeat. To ensure that nobody is confused about whom you’re meant to be (or to whom you belong), let your ubiquitous waistband do the walking while the “For Sale” sign on your back does the talking.

Macklemore

One of the biggest songs of the year was Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ “Same Love,” the pro-equality anthem that continues to gain traction and change the voice of hip-hop music. But before straight Mack got all sentimental for the gays, he was poppin’ tags at the local thrift shop, musing about green gator shoes, leopard mink coats, and your grandpa’s old hand-me-downs. To step out in style like everybody’s favorite white rapper du jour, swag into your local discount depot for the most outlandish duds you can find on a dime. Feel free to take creative license from the “Thrift Shop” video – bonus points if you can cop a teal scooter to serve as your wheels for the night – and don’t forget to stuff up the front of your flannel zebra jammies. Apparently Mack is packin’ the heat – and proud of it. And who can blame him? That “big, long, pink, strong” has all the boys beggin’ for ’More.

Pro Athlete Activist

Several pro athletes came out of the closet in 2013 – NBA star Jason Collins, pro soccer player Robbie Rogers, and the WWE’s Darren Young, to name a few – but 2013 also was a banner year for straight athlete-allies to speak out in favor of same-sex equality. The loudest and proudest among them – former Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe and former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbedejo (both of whom were suspiciously released from their contracts recently) – have led the charge by lending their celebrity and outspoken personalities to causes like the NOH8 Campaign and local marriage-equality initiatives. To support your favorite gay-friendly player on All Hallows’ Eve, don one the guys’ officially licensed jerseys, complete the ensemble with a helmet and uniform set from Costume Super Center, and slap a NOH8 tattoo on your cheek to further level the playing field.

Liberace & Scott Thorson

Mr. Showmanship and his surgery-enhanced lookalike younger lover, Scott Thorson, will be a couples’-costume commodity this Halloween given the critical success of HBO’s Liberace biopic “Behind the Candelabra” and Michael Douglas’ recent Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie win at the 65th annual Primetime Emmy Awards for his uncanny portrayal of the legendary entertainer. For such an elaborate getup you’ll need to hunt down a few potentially pricey and hard-to-find pieces – like a jewel-encrusted three-piece suit, an awe-inspiring fur cape, and gobs of gaudy jewelry – but it can be done on a budget if you have access to a vintage store and a BeDazzler. To pimp out your better half like Liberace’s doe-eyed companion, locate a pastel-colored chauffer’s uniform and bling it out to the nines with sequins and rhines – stones, that is. Whatever you do, don’t get lost in the characters you’re channeling, lest you want your evening ruined by maddening mix of Quaaludes, smeared mascara, and a barrage of hurt feelings.

Bootylicious Backup Dancer

When Katy Perry debuted her recent hit “Roar” at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, social media lit up like a firework. But the chatter wasn’t about the pop star’s prize-fighter-inspired performance in a makeshift ring under the Brooklyn Bridge. Rather, the focus was on the bubble-yum bottom of backup dancer Lockhart Brownlie, whose man-candy curves are available for your viewing pleasure all over Tumblr. Turn heads at this year’s fright-night festivities by showing up as the posteriorly endowed scruff monster in a plain grey sweat suit with the legs pulled up and the arms cut off, a pair of mid-calf striped gym socks, boxing shoes, Pro-Flex Tape wrapped around your KO hand, and a week-old beard that’ll make all the cubbies growl. For even more authenticity – if you’re not already blessed with the derriere of a demigod, of course – stuff your rump with padded undies from Freshpair and get ready to rumble.

Prison Breaker

For years there’s been speculation that Wentworth Miller – sexy star of the former Fox series “Prison Break” – is gay. Miller confirmed those rumors earlier this year when he declined an invitation to attend the St. Petersburg International Film Festival, citing that “as a gay man,” he’s “deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government” – which basically proved once and for all that, like his “Prison Break” character Michael Scofield, Wentworth Miller is pretty much a badass all day every day. To pay homage to Miller and his behind-bars persona, get your hands on escapee attire that includes a grey sweatshirt covered up with a light-blue button-down and a navy-blue collared canvas jacket. A grey wool beanie will top off the outfit, but don’t forget about the tats; Scofield was inked full circle from collarbone to pelvic bone – an artistic feat that, if accomplished, will have partygoers clamoring to drop your soap.

Uncle Poodle

Uncle Poodle – whose real name is Lee Thompson – is the fun, effeminate gay hick that loves his pageant-performing niece, Alana, to pieces, and one of the breakout stars of TLC’s “Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo.” To saunter into your fete like this southern gent on Oct. 31, slap on a pair of muddied-up, loose-fitting stonewash jeans; an Aeropostale polo; a well-worn baseball cap with any pair of Oakleys perched on the bill; and outdated sneakers, preferably British Knight high-tops circa 1998. So you don’t have to go around explaining who you are every time you meet somebody new, add a pink sash to your digs to let everyone know that you’re the Grand Supreme of this soiree, and they’d better redneckognize.

Kraft Zesty Guy

Kraft Zesty Guy Anderson Davis (ya know, the dude whose shirt goes up in flames in the sexy dressing commercials as he smolders on screen) has made a name for himself shilling the salad condiment, but not everyone is amused. While the rest of us are hot, the American Family Association-backed One Million Moms is just plain bothered, which makes imitating this Adonis a must this Halloween. There’s not much to the Kraft Zesty Guy costume – a pair of fitted khakis, a bottle of Zesty Italian in hand, and a professional five-o’clock shadow – but you’ll need the ripped torso of a male model to pull it off with perfection. If sculpted abs and pecs aren’t in your immediate future, however, you can manage the look (and slip in a little humor while you’re at it) with these scantily clad aprons from Incredible Gifts (http://www.incrediblegifts.com/sexyaprons.html).

WWE’s Darren Young

On one hand, we were all surprised when pro wrestler Darren Young unexpectedly revealed to reporters that he’s gay while walking through an airport this summer; on the other, he gets greased up and struts around in flashy undies for living, so it wasn’t a stretch. Nonetheless, congratulations go out to the first active WWE performer ever to come out of the closet, and it’s high time we celebrate. Put the hurt on your homies this Halloween by dressing up like Young in your most flamboyant wrestling garb, many pieces of which – like pro-wrestler-worthy teeny-weeny briefs, shiny boots, armbands, and feather boas – you can find at TV Store Online. To emulate Young’s untamed mane, pick up an afro wig at your local costume shop or tease out your own tresses a la a youthful Don King. For the pièce de résistance, adorn your forehead with a gold-sequin headband and show off your elbow drops.

One Direction

There’s not enough editorial space to delve into the myriad ways One Direction is the gayest non-gay (not yet, at least) boy band ever. (All that public ass grabbing and man-on-man smooching has to mean something, right?) So until our collective fantasies come true, we’ll have to settle for a cutie-meets-queer group costume as you and your gaggle get gussied up as this generation’s Fab Five. Compile your costumes by taking a cue from MTV Style, which has graciously gathered many of the pieces you’ll need to unite and take the night as Harry, Zayn, Liam, Niall, and Louis. Pick up a few cordless mics to serve as additional props, learn the words to at least one 1D song – just don’t make it “Little Things” – and give an impromptu performance to provide your fellow party patrons with a few midnight memories. Somewhere, Simon Cowell will be smiling.